10

"I've been meaning to tell you something," Taylor sighs inwardly. She clutches her trembling left hand with her right in hopes of calming herself down. "This is so crazy. I don't know where to start, honestly." She laughs nervously tucking the loose strand of brunette hair behind her ear.

"I hope what I tell you won't change anything between us because, you mean a lot to me. But that's highly unlikely." Taylor lets out a defeated sigh. "I want to be honest with you though, it wouldn't be fair for you and me to keep this to myself."

The brunette's heart beats faster as she anticipates the next words about to fall straight out past her lips, "I'm in love with you, and I'm so sorry." Her shoulders slump in defeat and she finally looks up to see a girl she no longer recognizes. She was no longer the shy young girl that made sure she would go unnoticed by everyone. Her hair was a tad bit lighter, cheekbones more defined yet her features remained soft. Her built wasn't as thin or lanky, she filled out since then.

"Are you talking to yourself again?"

Taylor looks behind her to see her younger brother, Chase, leaning against her door with an obnoxious smirk. "Do you need anything?"

"Definitely not that attitude."

"Sorry," The brunette groans and takes a seat on the edge of her bed. She beckons for her younger brother to come closer and he takes a few steps before coming to a halt as he leans against the foot. "What is it?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me to the fair." The brunette raises what was a perfectly shaped brow at her brother amusedly and he rolls his eyes before turning to leave.

"Hey wait!" Chase sighs and turns around expectantly. "I'd love to, I'm just surprised that's all. I thought you wanted to go with your big boy group or something."

"Well I was supposed to," He admits and then gives her a sheepish grin and at the moment he looked much like a younger carbon copy of their father. "But I thought I'd ask you. We never get to hang out anymore."

"Your graduation is coming up in a few months and there's no doubt you'll be leaving, that mind of yours — it deserves to be heard and cultivated. You can't do that here Tay," Both siblings eyes begin to water at the realization, she'd be leaving her family, all that she's known all her life for uni. "I want to spend as much time as I can with you. You may think nobody notices you in this family but I do, I learn a lot from you and as cheesy as it sounds? I'm gonna miss you when you're gone."

"Chase," She breathes out and pulls her big little brother into a crushing embrace. Tears were cascading down her olive skin and she made no effort of wiping them away. She simply just let herself feel.

A flash of memories made itself to her mind of when they were younger, moments with Chase, McKinley, and Rae. She let herself be pulled by nostalgia, she did not miss the memory of when they lost Rae. Her older sister had only been sixteen, even younger than she was now, she was in a car with her friends returning from camp. Their car crashed and with five of them in the vehicle, her sister was the only one not to make it out alive.

Sometimes selfish thoughts would make its way to Taylor's mind. There were five of them, and none of them were as kind, as talented, nor as smart as Rae. So why her? Why not those obnoxious jocks Rae insisted she could change? The same ones who were too drunk, one of them too far gone to navigate his way on the road. The same one to crash their car and cost Rae's life.

"Okay that's enough Chase hugs for you."

Both siblings pull away and the youngest Monroe gives his big sister a small smile before walking out.

——

A Free Bird ride took the view of the entrance, a large ring that had five coaster seats continuously turning for a good two minutes. Taylor gulped and moved to fix her prescription glasses which after much debate with herself, opted for instead of her contact lenses.

"What, nervous already?" Chase teases. "We're barely inside, chill out! We'll have a blast."

"Okay come on rookie."

The duo walked on the path leading to the Free Bird and Taylor was mentally banging her head on a door. She knew Chase was an adrenaline junkie, of course he'd go with this. She feels herself being jerked to another direction and is faced with another, slightly less scary looking obstacle. It was a ride called Ice Jet.

In that moment, Taylor felt chills go up her spine. It looked like those horse rides she used to love when she was five, they would go around in circles for minutes. Except, the horses were cables and moved at a much faster rate. She was totally done for.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

Chase's smirk bothered her to no end, she felt she had to prove herself and wipe that smug look on her brother's face. Huffing like a nine-year old child, the brunette walks up to the nearly empty line with Chase trailing behind her.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

That's what Taylor told herself over and over in her head to distract herself. It was only when she heard the engine shut off did she feel herself stiffen again. Chase had to push her forward to catch a seat.

"Are you scared? Do you want to ride the same cart?" Chase asks seriously now.

"What kind of question is that?" She asks rhetorically. "Of course we ride in the same cart, other people need to occupy the others!"

Chase chokes back a laugh and even the worker doesn't hold back an amused grin. The line was clearly not full. There were more seats vacant than occupied. "Okay, Tay."

It was safe to say only one Monroe enjoyed the entire minute and a half duration of the ride. When the rods popped open and seat belts loosened, Taylor did not hesitate to hop off and run to the nearest trash can to empty the contents of her stomach. She didn't get on another ride for the rest of the night.

——

"Well did you at least enjoy yourself, then?"

"Of course," Taylor replies too enthusiastically. A trail of cheese forming on the corner of her mouth down to her chin. "I had the best time."

"That's gross, grow up." A piece of fry is thrown the brunette's way and she expertly catches it with her mouth before wiping the cheese off her face.

Footsteps make their way to the Monroe's table and the two turn around to find Jas. "Girl, what that mouth do!"

"Jas," Chase groans. "What did I tell you about inappropriate comments when I'm around?"

"Yeah Jas, stop going around corrupting minors." Comes a sultry voice and a light kiss on Taylor's forehead.

"Oh screw you Romee!" The Jas raises her finger to flip her off.

Taylor looks to the side and admires Romee as she continued to bicker with Jas. She was always so radiant. The brunette truly believed she'd be a fair match against the sun which shone maybe just as bright. She exhales and leans towards the blonde as she puts a loose arm around her neck.

"Oh look what I won you guys!" All three look up when Jas reaches for something in her bag, pulling out a black toy gun.

"You are a child, Jasmine."

Jas rolls her eyes and waves her hands around animatedly, pretending to shot above the sky. "Pew! Pew!"

"Put the gun down!" A gruff voice says behind them. They turn and see two white male officers make their way cautiously towards Jas, two actual guns pointed at her. Jas feels her skin grow cold and she shakes her head and begins to protest.

"It's a-"

"Throw the weapon to the side and put your hands behind your head, now!"

"It's a toy gun!" Taylor says out loud and clear. "It's a damn toy gun!"

The two officers eye Jas wearily and then up to the weapon they had not inspected thoroughly. Their eyes and minds were too preoccupied on Jas' skin color rather than the weapon that reassembled very little like an actual gun.

"It's true, it shoots rubber bullets for Christ's sake!" Chase intervenes and takes the gun away from Jas, the police not once flinched at the lighter-skinned boy. He tosses it to the side and stands in front of Jas who was pale as snow.

The police officers lowered their guns and put it back in their holster. Romee scoffs which the two didn't miss.

"You got something to say, kid?" One of them asks. He looked like the typical cop. He sported a beer belly and a overgrown mustache, probably just had a donut before making their rounds at night.

"Do you feel more concerned about my friend holding up a toy gun because of the color of her skin?"

"No Ma'am, it's protocol. It looked like an actual weapon from afar," the younger cop replied. He looked new and far too inexperienced.

"Protocol, huh?" Romee clicks her tongue and gestures in front of them. There were teenagers and young adults around holding almost exactly the same toy on their hands. The only difference was they weren't people of color. "How about them then officer? Are they exempted from that protocol because they're, what, white?"

"Ma'am if you're implying that we're racists, we're not." The younger cop replies once again, he looked nervous.

"Your actions clearly say otherwise."

The older cop looked irritated and opened his mouth to say something but his partner beat him to it. "We're sorry for the trouble, we'll leave you to it." He practically had to push the plump man to get on with it.